Rotatable support for christmas trees.



H. W. WASENSKE. ROTATABLE SUPPORT FOR CHRISTMAS TREES. APPLICATION man MAY 29. 1913.

Patented Mar. 27, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

WITNESSES IN VE/V TO]? #45 Ariana m-Lmw.. wAsHmcmM u c H, W. WASENSKE. ROTATABLE SUPPORT FOR CHRISTMAS TREES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 29, 1913.

1 ,QQOJU. Patented Mar. 27, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES INVENTOR 9 Attorney ROTATABLE SUPPORT FOR CHRISTMAS TREES.

Specification of Letters Eatent.

Patented Mar. 2'7, 191?.

Application filed May 29, 1913. Serial No. 770,659.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY W. WA- SENSKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Collinsville, in the county of Madison and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rotatable Supports for Christmas Trees, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to supports and more particularly to a revoluble support for a Christmas tree.

The primary object of this invention resides in the provision of a support for a Christmas tree which will cause the tree to revolve thus displaying all its attractiveness and the decorations upon the various sides and one which will also greatly add to the spectacle as well as increase the beauty of the tree. In many instances the Christmas tree is lighted by means of a number of small incandescent bulbs which obtain their electric power from batteries which are hidden somewhere about the base of the tree and it is an object of this invention to provide a revoluble support for trees which will obtain its power from these same batteries.

An additional object of this invention is to provide a means for securely holding the tree in this revoluble support and to provide a substantial base for the support so that there will be no danger of the tree falling over.

With the foregoing and other objects in view this invention consists in such novel construction, arrangement and combination of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and claimed.

In describing the invention in detail reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference designate like or corresponding parts in the several views, and in which z- Figure 1 is a rear elevation.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the receptacle for holding the base of the trunk of the tree removed.

Fig. 8 is a detail top plan view of the receptacle for holding the base of the trunk of the tree.

Referring now, more particularly, to the accompanying drawings 1 provide a main base 1 which may be and preferably is formed ofwood. A supplementary or socket base 2 is mounted on the base 1 and the undersurface thereof is in intimate contact with the upper surface of' the main base, belng secured thereto by suitable fastening .means such as screws 3. The socket base is constructed so that a vertical central openlng 4 1s formed therein so as to revolubly receive and support a shaft 5 in a vertical 1 central shank 11 whereby it may be removably secured upon the shaft 5 by means of the setscrew 12 in order to insure rotation of the said shaft 5 by the engagement of this gear with a suitable train of gearing interposed therebetween and a desirable source of power. This train of gearing includes the stub shafts 14, 21, 33 and 30 which are journaled between a supporting plate 16 and a similar plate 15 superimposed thereover, the first mentioned plate being supported by the angled member 17 provided with a base 18 adapted to be secured to the main base 1 by any suitable means 19. On the first mentioned stub shaft 14 is mounted a pinion 13 for engagement with the large gear 10, while a gear 23 is also carried by i this shaft to engage the pinion 22 which is similarly mounted upon the laterally adj acent stub shaft 21. This last named shaft also carries a gear 20 to engage with the smaller pinion 34 of the next adjacent stub shaft 38, driving connections between the latter and an initial shaft 30 being made bv the gear 82 and pinion 31 respectively carried on these two last mentioned shafts. A drive pulley 24 is adapted to receive a belt or other means of power transmission whereby the pulley will be rotated in its mounting sleeve 25 which is supported by the side 26 of the plate 15, such power being transferred through the beveled gears 28 and 29 illustrated in Fig. 1 to the stub shaft 30 and thence through the train of gearing described, to the gearwheel 10 at which point, it will be understood, through the gearing down process, the rotation of the shaft 5 is effected at a much lower speed than that of the driving pulley 24. An ordinary motor (not shown) of small; size and power and one which may be run by a few batteries such as would normally be collected to supply current to the incandescent lamps in case the tree is to be so illuminated will suffice to supply power to the pulley and consequently to the gear 10.

The provision of'this multiple set of gears makes the motion of the shaft 5 steady and always of the same speed as any inaccurate motion of the motor is absorbed in the trans- 7 Copies of this patent may be obtained for mission from one gear to another. Also by providing the multiple set of gears the usual jerking. motion which is often occasioned by the meshing of a gear and a pinion will be eliminated and the motion of the shaft 5 and the tree will be even and regular.

A cylindrical member 36 is adapted to receive the base of the trunk of an evergreen tree (not shown)'or the like. The cylindrical member 36 has'a base 37 which is provided with an opening 38 for the reception of the end of the member 5 and which allows the needle 6 to project upwardly into the hollow part of'the member 36 and to be inserted in the base of the tree trunk. Formed upon the base 37 is a shank 39 which ex- Brackets 42 are provided for firmly holding the receptacle 36 and the base 37 in engagement.

In practical fields certain minor features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts may necessitate alterations to which the patentee is entitled provided such changes are comprehended within the scope of what is claimed.

What is claimed is A Christmas tree support including a main supporting base, having a central recess in the upper surface thereof, a socket base having its undersurface arranged in in timatecontact with the upper surface of the main base and registering with the recess in the main base, a short shaft rotatably mounted in the socket base and maintained in a vertical position thereby, a series of ball bearings arranged in the recess for supporting the lower end of the shaft, a tree receiving cylinder arrangeds about the shaft, adjustable means for removably holding the cylinder on the shaft so as to elfectively support a tree, a needle extending axially of the shaft and} arranged in the cylinder, means for removably clamping a tree in the cylinder, and means mounted on the stationary base and extending above the socket base for rotating the shaft.

HENRY W. WASENSKE.

Witnesses:

' IDA QUERNI-IEIM, OLIVE HEDDEN,

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

